STOCKON/SAN JOAQUIN CONTINUUM OF CARE Project evaluation and ranking July 2017 Introduction Annually, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) holds a national competition for Continuum of Care (CoC) Program funds. This competition brings funds into San Joaquin County to provide housing and services to individuals and families who are experiencing homelessness. These Scoring Instructions have been developed to measure project performance and capacity using objective scoring criteria, including the HEARTH Performance Measures. These Instructions detail how the Project Review Committee (PRC) of the CoC will evaluate project applications. Project scores will be used to review projects that are submitted to HUD in the FY2017 CoC competition. However, in order to best serve our community by providing effective projects and capturing the maximum funds available, projects will be ranked according to HUD s priorities as established in the FY2017 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA), as well as according to local priorities and need as evaluated and determined through the local Continuum of Care. To gather the necessary information to properly consider each project, the Project Review Committee will use data from the San Joaquin County Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), Annual Performance Reports (APRs), and other sources, such as fiscal records. The source of the data reviewed is specified for each criterion. SCORING INSTRUCTIONS Scoring Instructions are used to measure project performance and capacity using objective scoring criteria, including the HEARTH Performance Measures. Renewal and new projects will be scored according to two (2) subcategories: 1) Standard Renewals: renewing projects that have operated for a full 12-month period; 2) New Projects: projects that have never been awarded CoC Program funds. RANKING POLICIES These Ranking Policies are consistent with HUD s policy priorities as described in the FY2017 CoC Program Registration Notice, and also align with local priorities and needs: 1) HUD s policy priorities: a. Create a systemic response to homelessness; b. Strategically allocate resources; and c. Use a housing first approach. 2) The CoC recognizes that HUD requires each CoC to maintain a functioning HMIS and the CoC has determined that continued support of the Continuum-wide HMIS is a critical component of all CoC and ESG funded projects. Based on that understanding, the CoC has determined as a matter of policy that the HMIS renewal project will be the top ranked project as long as basic threshold requirements are met. 3) Renewal projects will be ranked in Tier 1 unless there are justifications for ranking the project lower, such as poor performance or a failure to meet HUD priorities or local needs. 4) New projects will be ranked lower than renewal projects, unless the Review Committee determines the project meets both HUD priorities and local needs by improving the CoC s outcomes and reducing homelessness more effectively than a renewal project(s).
REALLOCATION For the FY2017 competition, new projects may be created through reallocation. A CoC may reallocate part or all of a renewal project s funding to create one or more new projects that meet both HUD priorities and local needs by improving the CoC s outcomes and reducing homelessness more effectively than the reallocated renewal project. The reallocation of funds and/or project(s) may occur in the following circumstances: The applicant makes the determination to not submit an application for a renewal project; Due to poor performance or other justifications based on a failure to meet HUD priorities or local needs: o The PRC recommends that a renewal project is not submitted to HUD in the annual competition, and/or o The PRC recommends that a renewal project is submitted to HUD in the annual competition, but at a reduced funding request. The Review Committee, using the Scoring Instructions and Ranking Policies, reviews and ranks projects and makes recommendations for reallocation. All recommendations by the Review Committee must be ratified by the CoC The applicant of a project recommended for reallocation is notified, in writing, via email and letter. Notification must occur within the timeframe established by HUD, and no later than fifteen (15) days before the CoC Consolidation Application submission deadline to HUD.. THRESHOLD CRITERIA Project applications will be reviewed to determine whether they meet eligibility thresholds; projects that do not meet the threshold criteria will not be scored. Applications will be rejected and not considered for review for any of the following reasons: (1) application materials are not received by the deadline, (2) the application is not consistent with the Consolidated Plan, (3) the agency has outstanding County or HUD monitoring, or OIG Audit finding(s) that are overdue or unsatisfactory, (4) the project does not comply with the requirements of the CoC interim rule (24 CFR part 578), including requirements to participate in the Coordinated Entry (CE) System and the San Joaquin County HMIS. THRESHOLD all projects Applicant has valid 501(c)(3) status Application material received by deadline Application is consistent with the Consolidated Plan Applicant has no County, HUD, or OIG findings Project complies with 24CFR part 578 Application demonstrates required match/leverage Pass/Fail General Source Points Annual audit HMIS participation HMIS Yes 2 Refused/unknown responses for HMIS universal data elements HMIS <10% 2 >10% 0
Missing responses for HMIS universal data elements HMIS <1% 2 >1% 0 CoC participation CoC records Yes 2 Programs (all applicants) Source Points Program type Application PSH 4 RRH 3 Transitional 1 SSO 0 Project serves one or more of the following: Application Chronic homeless Yes 5 Veterans Families with children Youth (under 25) Victims of domestic violence Support services request (percent of budget request) Application <20% 4 21% to 35% 2 >35% 0 Requires sobriety for program acceptance Application Yes 0 Requires income for program acceptance Application Yes 0 Requires agreement to accept services for program Application Yes 0 acceptance Requires applicant to be housing ready for program Application Yes 0 acceptance Accepts applicants directly from shelters or the streets Project does not terminate participation for any reason not included in a lease agreement Program performance renewals Source Points APR submitted on time e-snaps or Yes 2 Sage RRH - % of participants exiting to permanent housing HMIS >80% 6 >75% to <80% 5 >70% to <75% 3 >65% to <70% 1 <65% 0 PSH - % of participants who maintained or exited to PH HMIS >90% 8 >85% to <90% 6 >80% to <85% 4
RRH - % of persons 18 and older who increased total RRH - % of persons 18 and older who increased earned PSH - % or persons 18 and older who increased total PSH - % of persons 18 and older who increased earned Average % bed/unit utilization rate (last Wednesday January and April 2017) >75% to <80% 2 <75% 0 HMIS >60% 6 >50% to <60% 4 >40% to <50% 2 <40% 0 HMIS >80% 6 >70% to <80% 4 >65% to <70% 2 <65% 0 HMIS >40% 4 >30% to <40% 2 <30% 0 HMIS >20% 4 >10% to <20% 2 <10% 0 HMIS >95% 6 90% to <95% 5 85% to <90% 3 80% to <85% 1 <80% 0 ADDITIONAL THRESHOLD new projects The project is Permanent Supportive Housing and is dedicated solely to chronically homeless The project is Rapid Re-housing and is dedicated to households coming directly from the streets or shelters or meeting the criteria of paragraph 4 of HUD s definition of homeless Pass/Fail Program performance new projects Source Points RRH - % of participants who will exit to permanent Application >80% 2 housing >70% to <80% 1 RRH - % of participants who will be placed in PH within 30 days of entry to the project Application >75% 2 60% to <75% 1 <60% 0 PSH - % of participants who will maintain or exit to PH Application >90% 4 85% to <90% 2 80% to <85% 1 <80% 0 RRH - % of persons 18 and older who will increase total Application >60% 3 50% to <60% 1 <50% 0 PSH - % of persons 18 and older who will increase total Application >80% 2
70% to <80% 1 RRH - % of persons 18 and older who will increase earned Application >80% 2 70% to <80% 1 PSH - % of persons 18 and older who will increase earned Project will provide transportation assistance to clients to attend benefits appointments, employment training, etc. Application >20% 2 >10% to <20% 1 <10% 0 Project will assist participants in applying for and maintaining mainstream benefits Days from grant execution to house first participant Application <30 4 31-60 2 >60 0 Days from grant execution for project to be at capacity Application <90 4 91 to 120 2 >120 0 Agency capacity new projects Source Points Currently operates at least one other federally funded project No 1 Years of experience documenting homelessness according Application >3 2 to HUD s definition 1-2 1 Years of experience documenting chronic homelessness according to CoC Interim Rule Application >2 2 1 1 Years of experience operating an RRH project Application >2 2 1 1 Currently operating an RRH project Experience is successfully implementing a low barrier approach project Experience in successfully implementing a housing first approach project Experience in connecting participants to mainstream resources No 1